What exactly are TOFU, MOFU, and BOFU?

TOFU (top of funnel), MOFU (middle of funnel), and BOFU (bottom of funnel) are acronyms for a process you're probably already familiar with: the customer journey. Customers have different questions and shift into different mindsets as they progress from developing a broad awareness of your products and solutions to making a purchase decision.

But what exactly do TOFU, MOFU, and BOFU have to do with search engine optimization (SEO)? Everything.

People's search behaviour shifts as they progress down the conversion funnel. As a result, if you don't optimise for each stage, you won't be able to attract visitors from the entire funnel. This results in money being left on the table as visitors bounce to a competitor before proceeding to the next stage – or, worse, never visit at all. However, if you implement a full-funnel enterprise SEO strategy, you will attract and retain potential customers at every stage, increasing your marketing ROI.

Key Points

• ToFu, MoFu, and BoFu are abbreviations for the buyer's journey.
• ToFu represents the top of the funnel, MoFu represents the middle of the funnel, and Bofu represents the bottom of the funnel.
• Prospects' search behaviour changes as they progress through the funnel. When you optimise for each stage of the funnel, you will increase brand touch points, trust, and conversions. 

No, TOFU, MOFU, and BOFU are not insults. It's also not a new acronym you'll need to learn if you want to communicate with your 16-year-old nephew. It hasn't even become a viral dance craze...yet.

1. What exactly are TOFU, MOFU, and BOFU?

The purchase funnel can be divided into three stages: awareness, consideration, and decision. These stages can be substituted for TOFU, MOFU, and BOFU, which stand for:

• TOFU is an abbreviation for Top of the Funnel (awareness)
• MOFU stands for "Middle of the Funnel" (consideration)
• BOFU stands for Bottom of the Funnel (Decision)

Although the purchase funnel is important for both B2B and B2C businesses, it is especially critical for companies that rely on lead capture and lead nurturing. This includes many different types of B2B businesses as well as B2C retailers who sell high-end products with long sales cycles, such as insurance.

TOFU is an abbreviation for top of the funnel.

The visitor is in the awareness stage at the top of the marketing funnel. They may not be aware of your brand or the products or solutions they require.

The user wants information and answers during this research-driven phase. That frequently takes the form of "I have a problem and am looking for potential solutions." The user may simply want to investigate a hobby or interest, preferring content that entertains and informs.

Perhaps they saw something on TV or online that piqued their interest.

The nature of the top of the funnel allows for a million different reasons why they began searching online. In other words, many different people searching for a variety of reasons and with a variety of search intent.

During this phase, your role is to provide the educational or entertaining content that your visitor desires. This allows you to introduce your products as a potential solution, position your brand as a useful resource, and reinforce your commitment to the visitor's area of interest. Your top-funnel visitors represent a wide range of people, many of whom will not have an immediate need for your products or services. During this phase, conversions will be at their lowest.

The goal here is to get your brand on people's radars, raise awareness, and establish trust. If you can also get their email address, you can use nurturing initiatives to keep in touch with them as they progress through the sales funnel.

2. MOFU stands for "middle of the funnel.

The MOFU visitor has defined their problem and narrowed their options. They're starting to consider your brand as a possible option. However, they are still comparing various brands and may be considering other options.

MOFU represents a smaller and more qualified slice of your audience because many of your TOFU visitors will naturally drop out of the funnel.

They are aware that your solution exists and are eager to learn more. What are the advantages and disadvantages? What characteristics should they look for? Are there any options that they aren't aware of? Etc.

During the MOFU stage, you'll need to provide your audience with as much information as possible so that they can make an informed decision. Convince them of your brand's expertise and the quality of your products, and explain how you differ from the competition.

MOFU searchers tend to be more specific in their Google queries. In fact, long-tail keywords are frequently used to narrow down their options. They may also refer to specific product types or conduct research on specific brands.

Because MOFU visitors are still researching how to solve their problem, it is critical not to oversell during this stage. Instead, provide them with the information they require to proceed and assist them in sorting through all of their concerns. The MOFU stage is all about empowering them so that they can enter the decision phase of the customer journey as prepared as possible.

3. BOFU stands for bottom of the funnel.

Your bottom-of-the-funnel leads are well-qualified and on their way to making a purchase. They've committed to sticking with you through the two higher funnel stages, making this your smallest and most profitable prospect pool. They just need a little extra encouragement to buy: extra reassurance, extra incentives, and extra urgency.

Your BOFU searchers are heavily focused on branded search, including product-specific searches and keyword reviews. On the other hand, they want proof that your solution will deliver results/ROI/etc. and is the one they should buy.

During this phase, overt selling is the most appropriate of the three phases. However, it is still preferable to take a consultative approach to assisting the decision-maker. Instead of trying to persuade your lead to buy the product, assume they already do and assist them in tailoring the purchase to their specific needs. Incentives such as strong warranties and world-class customer support should be reinforced to make the purchase less risky.

BOFU is all about differentiating your brand from the competition in order to convert those qualified leads.

Strategically deploying SEO throughout the funnel

Lead generation requires full-funnel content marketing. Your audience's search behaviour, on the other hand, changes throughout the buyer's journey. As a result, as you implement your content strategy, it's critical to optimise your content marketing efforts for each funnel phase separately.

• Keyword investigation
• creation of content
• Architecture of a website
• SEO metrics that you use to calculate SEO ROI.

Let's dissect that...

Keyword investigation

If you're new to the process or need a refresher, check out our in-depth article on how to conduct keyword research. Are you all set? Then we'll look at how it varies depending on the funnel stage.

Keyword research with TOFU:

You're looking for general queries related to the problem your brand solves, as well as the broader interest-based searches your target audience would conduct.

• Pain point-related seed keywords to investigate if you sell project management software include "organising multiple projects," "organising large projects," and "how to improve time management skills." "productivity hacks" and "work from home tips" are two interest-based seed keywords to investigate.
• Pain point-related seed keywords to investigate if you sell financial services to consumers include "how to get out of debt," "types of personal loans," and "how to buy a home." "Investing strategies for beginners" or "money-saving tips" are examples of general interest seed keywords. 

During this stage, "how to" queries, as well as words like "tips," "strategies," and basic questions like "what is," are especially useful. During this stage, Answer the Public is a great resource for keywords because it specifically targets words like Who, What, When, Where, and Why. Similarly, Ahrefs offers a variety of related questions for any keyword researched. Furthermore, BuzzSumo Questions collects questions from millions of forums, Q&A sites, Amazon, and websites, allowing you to see the actual questions being asked online.

Keyword research for MOFU:

Unlike TOFU keywords, keywords that target the middle of the funnel usually directly reference the solution. Look for general questions that include your solution as well as evaluative or comparative words such as "best" and "benefits."

• MOFU seed keywords for project management software include "best project management platform for _______," with the blank representing the needs of specific audience segments such as financial services firms or law firms.
• If you sell financial services, a MOFU keyword could be "pros and cons of high-interest savings accounts" or "best retirement IRAs."

BOFU keyword research:

BOFU keyword research is a straightforward look at the branded and product-related searches people conduct when they are nearing the end of their decision-making process. Because these leads already know who you are, you don't need to think about the broad keywords that pique their interest at this stage. Instead, concentrate on discovering how your BoFu customers search for your brand and matching those keywords with a useful, conversion-driven page. This could be "ABC vs. XYZ project management software."

Content from TOFU, MOFU, and BOFU

TOFU material (demand generation)

At the top of the funnel, inbound marketing content entertains, informs, inspires, and assists your target audience. Use a variety of content types to appeal to a wide range of tastes. Here are a few demand generation strategies you can employ:

• Blog entries
• Videos
• Podcasts
• Guides
• Ebooks
• Infographics
• Lookbooks
• Webinars
• Templates
• Checklists
• Lists of resources
• Knowledge Centers

MOFU material (lead generation)

Middle-of-the-funnel content distinguishes you from the competition while anticipating audience questions. It also promotes a better understanding of the problem, its business implications, and potential solutions. Most of the time, this content should capture contact information to assist you in nurturing prospects. Here are a few lead generation strategies to consider:

• Blog entries
• Videos
• White papers
• Original research and accompanying reports
• Exemplifications
• Tips and how-tos that are directly related to your product
• Webinars
• Events

Read our article on the distinction between lead generation and demand generation for more information.

BOFU material (sales)

This content closes the deal and converts window shoppers into paying customers. Among the successful formats are:

• Product demonstrations
• Product demonstrations
• Product demonstrations in video form
• Webinars about products
• Comparison graphs
• Case studies in depth
• Customer Benefits
• Calculators
• Tools

TOFU, MOFU, and BOFU Off-Page SEO

A fantastic website with fantastic, relevant content will only take you so far in Google. If you want to be number one, you must also have an excellent off-page SEO strategy.

Link building with TOFU:

Of course, high-quality backlinks are an essential component of any SEO strategy. It's thus useful to consider TOFU MOFU BOFU when not only identifying keywords and creating content, but also strategizing the types of links that will help you connect with the right audience at each stage of the funnel.

With this in mind, develop top-of-funnel thought leadership and expertise by writing how-tos for industry blogs, securing interviews with the media and industry blogs about timely topics, and organising and promoting educational events.

You can also attract a large number of links by writing long-form blog content that is engaging and naturally encourages the reader to share the information.

Link building for MOFU:

While your blog and other on-site content may be the most important way to connect with your TOFU audience, off-site links are an important way to connect with your MOFU audience. That's because they're conducting comparative searches. When a user searches for a term like "best" or "vs," they are unlikely to visit a specific brand's lead generation landing page. They want an unbiased answer from third-party comparison sites, reviews, and recommendations.

If you Google "best project management software," you'll get the following results:

When you come across besticles like the ones above, contact every third-party site on page one to build relationships and learn how you can make their list.

Link building for BOFU:

To some extent, complementary businesses, affiliate networks, and strategic partners can provide BOFU links by offering a special promotion to their audience or by featuring your company or expertise in another way. At the bottom of the funnel, competitor comparisons can be effective. The comparisons correspond to how many BOFU prospective customers conduct their final due diligence online. Finally, calculators and ROI tools can not only assist you in closing the deal, but they are also extremely effective at generating backlinks.

Website structure

Optimizing your TOFU, MOFU, and BOFU content for keywords is one thing, but where do they go from there? What happens when a visitor navigates from a blog post of general interest to your home page? How do you get them into the funnel?

These questions are as crucial as the content itself.

Check your internal linking and site architecture to ensure a clear path from the home page to each funnel stage. Internal links aid in the definition of your architecture and the movement of users through the funnel.

This is actually easier than it sounds, as long as your main menu is functioning properly. Consider how Salesforce's megamenu links visitors to each funnel stage:

When they're ready, 

• TOFU visitors can navigate to the Resources section and click to learn more about the products or solutions.
• MOFU visitors can find more personalised content by hovering over the Solutions category and clicking on their industry. They can also register for a webinar or look through Research & Reports.
• Visitors to BOFU can view video demos, read customer testimonials, or click the prominently displayed "Try for Free" button.

After you've established your architecture, use analytics to identify different user paths and pinpoint where visitors leave the site. Examine the pages on your site that receive the most traffic for each funnel stage. Set a goal for user interaction on each page. Consider these to be the page's primary conversion metrics. Then, include a strong call to action (CTA), such as content offers, testimonials, or a persuasive sales pitch.

The economic impact of a TOFU, MOFU, and BOFU strategy

Conversions become less linear as customers' appetite for more content grows. They now occur across multiple touch points, channels, devices, and time spans. So, instead of fighting that phenomenon, don't rush into a sale. Instead, employ a full-funnel digital marketing strategy to reach out to your target audience in a positive, persuasive manner.

Consider relationships rather than transactions. Customers will begin to believe in your brand and regard you as an industry leader. More importantly, they'll begin to assess your suitability for their requirements.

This has a significant business impact. According to Demand Gen Report, 95% of buyers chose a vendor who provided content at each stage of the purchasing process. According to Forrester Consulting, marketers believe that a full-funnel SEO strategy increases customer lifetime value (CLV). Please read the study linked below.

Furthermore, nurtured leads will make 45 percent more purchases than non-nurtured leads. Websites that are funnel-optimized not only convert more people, but they also convert more people at a higher average order value (AOV).

Full-funnel SEO lead generation strategies increase audience engagement as well. According to one HubSpot survey, companies with a refined middle-of-the-funnel strategy see a 10X increase in response rate when compared to generic email blasts.

Marketing and sales teams now collaborate more closely than ever before. Throughout the sales process, they help each other – and their customers. This necessary shift in roles is accommodated by a full-funnel approach to search engine optimization. Start thinking in TOFU, MOFU, and BOFU terms, and you'll be thinking in the personalized, audience-first way that today's customer appreciates.